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Description
Art Book - #002

And here she is: the fire that blazed through the forest.

Bluestar was the first character to ever “open my eyes”, so to speak, to the thought of being a leader. The first one to get me to aspire to that role, to get me to believe that being in that position was the cool thing that I wanted to have. Yes, when I was ten-years-old and reading Into the Wild for the first time in middle school, I was much like the young apprentices and kits who would say, “I want to become Clan leader!” That’s the sort of headspace I was in too, and it’s thanks to Bluestar that I still retain some of that childhood fantasy today. I hold a great deal of respect for her, especially now that I can read through the series again and understand exactly what it is about her that captivated me back then.

Things like her strong and sturdy attitude, when she stands up against Brokenstar’s demand for territory at the first Gathering, and the way that she refused to allow ShadowClan and RiverClan to bully her into submission of taking over of WindClan’s stolen lands. But also along with that, her calm, level-headedness: the way that she keeps her voice steady and her tone mild, allowing her to get her points across in a way that doesn’t open her up to resentment from others. Her fairness and her logical approach to problems, such as her choice to send Firepaw to search for Yellowfang after her accusation of murder, letting us know that she believes in innocent-until-proven-guilty justice and is trusting enough to put the word of an apprentice before a senior warrior. And finally, the quality that I admire the most in her: the willingness to suffer in service of others - choosing to go hungry or reject medical treatment until her Clanmates have been helped first - all the way up to the extent of upholding the oath that she made in her warrior ceremony. In other words, having a position of control and choosing to treat oneself as an equal to those you have power over.

I think that Bluestar may have been the earliest instance of a role model that I had in my life. And I certainly know that today, that is how I view her now. Those characteristics that I described of her, those are all principles that I either have strived for, for years now, or have become new goals that I wish to obtain. And now each time I read through the series again, as an adult, I’ve come to develop a deeper appreciation for her as I see those lessons put on display. It’s something that certainly helps me understand how to navigate my way through life, and I‘ve started looking to her as a source of strength and guidance whenever I need it. As silly as it may sound to some, I think that picturing myself as the clueless and unruly apprentice, and placing her in the role of being my mentor, in my mind, helps to remind me how to keep myself moving down the right path and become more like the person that I wish to be - the one that I would look up to.

And that is what makes her fall-from-grace throughout the second half of the first arc so heartbreaking to watch. She begins to question everything that she’s believed in, everything that she’s dedicated her life to, when all the suffering that she’s gone through for her Clan finally becomes too much and breaks her will. She loses sight of all those principles that made her who she is, believing she had been abandoned by her warrior ancestors and asserting that they’re no punishing her for it, and the negative impact of the trauma on her mind is what turned her into a monster. And this is another way that Bluestar is important to me. I cannot truthfully claim that my own life experiences have been anything like the events that she went through. But where I can relate to her struggle is in the way that she reacted to it. Like her, there have definitely been times in my life where I have also been in that place of doubting everything I’ve thought to be true and thought was the “right thing to do”, asking if I’ve been deceived in a similar way. And yes, it does lead to some dark places and thoughts, and you end up becoming extremely resentful and angry because of it.

I find the need to remind myself that in the end, Bluestar proves that that side of her never leaves her, that buried deep down inside of her beyond that cruel exterior lies the same cat that she used to be, and she finds her way back to that when it is needed most. And that’s what led to the ending of A Dangerous Path being, for me, the most emotional scene in the entire series. A scene that teaches the value of sticking by your true nature, showing how things might play out radically different if you were to make the choice to abandon your old self. It’s a scene that is both incredibly sad and makes your throat tighten up, but at the same time also has a layer of happiness beneath the surface and brings your mind a sense of peace and relief to know that that dark chapter of the story has ended.

For these reasons, Bluestar is my favorite Warriors character, and my favorite fictional character period.

Artist’s Notes
• Bluestar’s appearance is based on the Nebelung breed.
• Her thick layer of neck fur is inspired by what I saw in some reference photos (see here and here). I parted it down the front to avoid it looking too much like a lion’s mane and instead have it reflect more of a headdress, which I see as more fitting to her character.
• The font used for the banner is from an online text generator, and is called “Blacksword”. (I think the one I found was a modified version, because the results that popped up when Googling the style do not match mine.)

I had a great time coming up with my own interpretation of her, and I’m quite happy with the end result too. Although I do intend on doing more full pieces like my last post, with a focus on environments and storytelling, I think these character portraits are ultimately going to be the thing I’m best at, and also what I have the most fun with. I’ve got a lot of ideas brewing in my mind for what I want to do for many other characters, and I’m looking forward to drawing them in due time.

Additional Information

Time period: 6/3/2023 - 8/22/2023 (81 days)
Time taken: 26 hrs, 42 mins
Tools:
• HB - Sketching / blocking
• 2B - Midtones
• 4B - Midtones

• 6B - Shadows

• 8B - Shadows

• Medium charcoal pencil - Shadows (finishing touches)

Description
Art Book - #002

And here she is: the fire that blazed through the forest.

Bluestar was the first character to ever “open my eyes”, so to speak, to the thought of being a leader. The first one to get me to aspire to that role, to get me to believe that being in that position was the cool thing that I wanted to have. Yes, when I was ten-years-old and reading Into the Wild for the first time in middle school, I was much like the young apprentices and kits who would say, “I want to become Clan leader!” That’s the sort of headspace I was in too, and it’s thanks to Bluestar that I still retain some of that childhood fantasy today. I hold a great deal of respect for her, especially now that I can read through the series again and understand exactly what it is about her that captivated me back then.

Things like her strong and sturdy attitude, when she stands up against Brokenstar’s demand for territory at the first Gathering, and the way that she refused to allow ShadowClan and RiverClan to bully her into submission of taking over of WindClan’s stolen lands. But also along with that, her calm, level-headedness: the way that she keeps her voice steady and her tone mild, allowing her to get her points across in a way that doesn’t open her up to resentment from others. Her fairness and her logical approach to problems, such as her choice to send Firepaw to search for Yellowfang after her accusation of murder, letting us know that she believes in innocent-until-proven-guilty justice and is trusting enough to put the word of an apprentice before a senior warrior. And finally, the quality that I admire the most in her: the willingness to suffer in service of others - choosing to go hungry or reject medical treatment until her Clanmates have been helped first - all the way up to the extent of upholding the oath that she made in her warrior ceremony. In other words, having a position of control and choosing to treat oneself as an equal to those you have power over.

I think that Bluestar may have been the earliest instance of a role model that I had in my life. And I certainly know that today, that is how I view her now. Those characteristics that I described of her, those are all principles that I either have strived for, for years now, or have become new goals that I wish to obtain. And now each time I read through the series again, as an adult, I’ve come to develop a deeper appreciation for her as I see those lessons put on display. It’s something that certainly helps me understand how to navigate my way through life, and I‘ve started looking to her as a source of strength and guidance whenever I need it. As silly as it may sound to some, I think that picturing myself as the clueless and unruly apprentice, and placing her in the role of being my mentor, in my mind, helps to remind me how to keep myself moving down the right path and become more like the person that I wish to be - the one that I would look up to.

And that is what makes her fall-from-grace throughout the second half of the first arc so heartbreaking to watch. She begins to question everything that she’s believed in, everything that she’s dedicated her life to, when all the suffering that she’s gone through for her Clan finally becomes too much and breaks her will. She loses sight of all those principles that made her who she is, believing she had been abandoned by her warrior ancestors and asserting that they’re no punishing her for it, and the negative impact of the trauma on her mind is what turned her into a monster. And this is another way that Bluestar is important to me. I cannot truthfully claim that my own life experiences have been anything like the events that she went through. But where I can relate to her struggle is in the way that she reacted to it. Like her, there have definitely been times in my life where I have also been in that place of doubting everything I’ve thought to be true and thought was the “right thing to do”, asking if I’ve been deceived in a similar way. And yes, it does lead to some dark places and thoughts, and you end up becoming extremely resentful and angry because of it.

I find the need to remind myself that in the end, Bluestar proves that that side of her never leaves her, that buried deep down inside of her beyond that cruel exterior lies the same cat that she used to be, and she finds her way back to that when it is needed most. And that’s what led to the ending of A Dangerous Path being, for me, the most emotional scene in the entire series. A scene that teaches the value of sticking by your true nature, showing how things might play out radically different if you were to make the choice to abandon your old self. It’s a scene that is both incredibly sad and makes your throat tighten up, but at the same time also has a layer of happiness beneath the surface and brings your mind a sense of peace and relief to know that that dark chapter of the story has ended.

For these reasons, Bluestar is my favorite Warriors character, and my favorite fictional character period.

Artist’s Notes
• Bluestar’s appearance is based on the Nebelung breed.
• Her thick layer of neck fur is inspired by what I saw in some reference photos (see here and here). I parted it down the front to avoid it looking too much like a lion’s mane and instead have it reflect more of a headdress, which I see as more fitting to her character.
• The font used for the banner is from an online text generator, and is called “Blacksword”. (I think the one I found was a modified version, because the results that popped up when Googling the style do not match mine.)

I had a great time coming up with my own interpretation of her, and I’m quite happy with the end result too. Although I do intend on doing more full pieces like my last post, with a focus on environments and storytelling, I think these character portraits are ultimately going to be the thing I’m best at, and also what I have the most fun with. I’ve got a lot of ideas brewing in my mind for what I want to do for many other characters, and I’m looking forward to drawing them in due time.

Additional Information

Time period: 6/3/2023 - 8/22/2023 (81 days)
Time taken: 26 hrs, 42 mins
Tools:
• HB - Sketching / blocking
• 2B - Midtones
• 4B - Midtones

• 6B - Shadows

• 8B - Shadows

• Medium charcoal pencil - Shadows (finishing touches)